Hands-on review of the Xiaomi Watch S4: classic design, 1.43-inch AMOLED, GPS, Bluetooth calls, solid fitness basics and multi-day battery life. Pros and cons.
© A. Krivonosov
Xiaomi Watch S4 is the kind of device you don’t buy for a wow moment but to wear every day and barely notice. They don’t look like a toy or a fitness band dressed up as a watch: a round case, a tidy bezel, balanced proportions, and a physical crown that’s genuinely convenient. Visually, they sit closer to classic timepieces; only instead of hands you get a bright AMOLED and smartphone habits on your wrist—notifications, workouts, sleep, and quick actions. A black unit with a soft, pleasant silicone strap arrived in the Pepelac News newsroom.
Open the box and you’re greeted by round, substantial watches with a metal case and a narrow silicone strap. On the wrist they look right; even without cinching the strap, the watch doesn’t slide and stays put as if molded in place. Swapping straps is straightforward—on the back you’ll find quick-release fittings you can handle without tools.
The first thing that grabs you about the Watch S4 is the display. For a watch, it’s large: 1.43 inches, AMOLED, with high pixel density. Watch faces look more premium, text is easy to read, and the interface doesn’t need oversized buttons. The key point, though, is brightness. This isn’t a spec for the checkbox: outdoors, in daylight, a watch has to stay legible instead of turning into a black mirror—and here the Watch S4 handle it with confidence.
There’s a practical nuance, though: out of the box the watch is tuned fairly conservatively. If you prefer the screen to wake more often with a wrist raise, or want an always-on face, you’ll need to dive into settings and make it your own; otherwise the watch may initially feel a bit “too frugal,” dimming the backlight quickly.
A touchscreen is great, but the moment you’re walking, carrying a bag, riding transit, or caught in the rain, you see why the crown matters. On the Watch S4 it’s genuinely useful: scrolling through lists and menus is quicker and calmer than swiping. It’s a small touch that makes the device feel like a watch rather than a tiny phone. The haptics from the crown, however, aren’t quite what you expect—during testing, the vibration felt slightly delayed or off in frequency.
On the health side you get a standard but useful kit: heart rate, SpO₂, sleep, daily activity. Plus plenty of sport modes, so you’re not limited to “walk” and “run.” The Watch S4 clearly aim at someone who wants to understand their shape and habits, not those looking for advanced medical tools. If your priority is ECG or “a clinic on the wrist,” this isn’t that kind of watch.
There’s an option for automatic workout detection, but it behaves oddly—consistently recognizing only walking. Once, at the gym, the watch suggested starting a workout and choosing a type, but it did so about 20 minutes after the session had begun. Worth noting: this feature draws on the battery.
For walks, runs, and rides, standalone navigation matters, and the Watch S4 deliver: you can record routes without your phone. It’s genuinely handy when you don’t want a phone in your pocket or mounted on the handlebar just for tracking. The better the satellite lock, the fewer jagged lines and odd jumps in your stats.
With microphones and a speaker on board, you can take calls over Bluetooth when the watch is connected to your phone. It doesn’t sound like a killer feature until you use it: saying you’re outside, asking to call back, or exchanging a few words when your hands are full. Just keep in mind this is phone-tethered calling, not full-on cellular like watches with eSIM in every version.
Xiaomi often earns praise for battery life, and the Watch S4 follow that path. You can wear them for days without living by an outlet. Of course, any battery magic fades if you enable always-on, use GPS frequently, and keep brightness high. It’s an honest trade-off: want everything to look slick—charge more often; want a “wear and forget” setup—expect a very comfortable reserve.
Even so, with continuous health tracking—heart rate, stress, and sleep monitoring—the watch still runs for four days on a charge. At the last 10%, you can switch on a power-saving mode to stretch it further.
The big one: Watch S4 don’t run Wear OS. This isn’t “install anything from the store and turn the watch into a tiny phone.” The ecosystem is simpler, with fewer expansion options, and the logic is closer to “watch + sport + notifications.” For many that’s a plus—less clutter, better endurance. But if you’re after a rich app world, you’ll feel the limitations.
Second: regional quirks. For instance, NFC availability on similar models often depends on market, so it’s best to check what exactly your version supports before buying. Two boxes with the same name can differ slightly in capabilities.
Third: size. The Watch S4 feel like large watches. Some will appreciate the “grown-up” look and roomy display; others may want something more compact.
Fourth — first start-up. On first power-on, the watch requires registration in Xiaomi’s ecosystem, followed by an update that takes over an hour.
Fifth: workouts. If you train regularly and place high value on tracking, you’ll likely be better served by a different smartwatch.
Xiaomi Watch S4 are a well-judged pick for anyone who wants handsome round watches with an excellent screen, strong battery life, a clear set of health and fitness sensors, and everyday conveniences like calling. This isn’t a gadget for experimenting with hundreds of apps, but a calm, practical companion for daily use. If your philosophy is “watches should be watches, just smart,” the Watch S4 will fit right in. If you expect a full-blown platform that behaves like a mini-smartphone, other ecosystems will suit you better.